Abstract
BackgroundObesity is now common and this may have altered visual perceptions of what constitutes a ‘normal’ and therefore healthy weight. The present study examined cross-cultural differences in male and female participants’ ability to visually identify the weight status of photographed Caucasian males.MethodsFive hundred and fifty three male and female young adults from the US (high obesity prevalence), UK and Sweden (lower obesity prevalence) participated in an online study. Participants judged the weight status of a series of photographed healthy weight, overweight and obese (class I) Caucasian males and rated the extent to which they believed each male should consider losing weight.ResultsThere was a strong tendency for both male and female participants to underestimate the weight status of the photographed overweight and obese males. Photographed males were frequently perceived as being of healthier weight than they actually were. Some modest cross-cultural differences were also observed; US participants were worse at recognising obesity than UK participants (p < 0.05) and were also significantly more likely to believe that the photographed obese males did not need to consider losing weight, in comparison to both the UK and Swedish participants (ps < 0.05). No cross-cultural differences were observed for perceptions or attitudes towards the photographed healthy weight or overweight males.ConclusionsThe weight status of overweight and obese (class I) Caucasian males is underestimated when judged by males and females using visual information alone. This study provides initial evidence of modest cross-cultural differences in attitudes toward, and the ability to recognise, obesity in Caucasian males.
Highlights
Obesity is common and this may have altered visual perceptions of what constitutes a ‘normal’ and healthy weight
Robinson and Hogenkamp BMC Public Health (2015) 15:492 and weight loss intentions across a number of countries and findings showed that perceived overweight was highest in countries where body weights were generally low (Asian countries), which may indicate that local body weight norms influence perceptions of weight [10]
Weight misperceptions: self vs. others There is research which suggests that parents frequently underestimate the weight status of their overweight or obese children [11, 12] and that an increased prevalence of childhood obesity could be partially responsible for this [12]
Summary
Obesity is common and this may have altered visual perceptions of what constitutes a ‘normal’ and healthy weight. Weight misperceptions: self vs others There is research which suggests that parents frequently underestimate the weight status of their overweight or obese children [11, 12] and that an increased prevalence of childhood obesity could be partially responsible for this [12]. One interpretation of these findings is that as obesity has become ‘normalised,’ overweight and obesity appears less unusual and is harder to visually identify. Examining visual weight status perceptions of other people allows for a more direct examination of the ability to visually identify obesity
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